Earth anchor



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E. K COLE EARTH ANCHOR Filed Dec. 16, 1932 Feb. 26, 193&

Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES I PATENT orrica EARTH ANCHOR Elmer K. Cole, Winterset, Iowa, assignor to Wei- Lock Manufacturing Company, Winter-set, Eowa, a corporation of Iowa My invention relates to that class of earth anchors in which there is provided an anchoring rod with a number of wings pivotally mounted thereon, and capable in one position of being folded close to the rod to enter an opening of small diameter formed in the earth, and capable also of being expanded to outwardly extended positions through the earth to assume anchoring positions.

ill The object of my invention is to provide an anchor of this character of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More particularly it is my object to provide anchoring wings so shaped that when in collapsed position they will be of minimum diameter to enter a relatively small hole, and when in extended position the wings will have a maximum working area for earth anchoring purposes.

More specifically in this connection it is my object to provide pockets in two of the wings extended outwardly, which perform the double function of receivingthe adjacent edges of the other wings into said pockets when in collapsed position, and also to provide reinforcing ribs for strengthening the wings.

A further object is to provide an improved means of simple and inexpensive construction for assembling the anchor and for yieldingly holding the wings in their collapsed positions.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation partly in section of my improved anchor with the wings in collapsed position. The sectional view at the lower part of the figure shows the construction of the wedge and locking ring, and the section at the top of the figure shows the lugs and ribs for assembling and yieldingly holding the wing in its collapsed position.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view reduced in size and taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a top or plan view of my improved anchor with the wings in their anchoring position.

Figure 4 shows a side elevation of my improved anchor in anchoring position, one of the wings and a part of the wedge and locking ring being broken away.

Figure 5 shows an inverted plan view illustrating the assembling plate; and

Figure 6 shows a side elevation of same with the anchor head in position relative thereto, and by dotted lines showing the position of the various bendable lugs thereon for assembly purposes. 5

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate an anchor rod having a nut 11 at its lower end. The wedge and locking plate is indicated generally by the reference numeral 12, and is provided on its 10 under surface with a socket 13 to receive the nut 11. It is preferably of circular form and is provided on its upper surface with an integral collar 14 extended upwardly a short distance above its upper surface. l5

Mounted upon the rod 10 is the anchor head 15, which is provided at each of its four sides with a hinge rod 16 horizontally arranged, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This head has a central opening 17 through which the rod 10 projects 20 and which is guided by said rod.

The anchor wings, of which there are four, are in two pairs, the wings of each pair being alike. One pair of wings, indicated generally by the numeral 18, is, when in its collapsed position shown 25 in Figure 1, curved downwardly and outwardly from the head and is nearly round in outline, and provided with an upwardly' extended reinforcing rib 19' throughout its length. At its under or inner end there is a segmental head portion 20 30 formed with an outwardly, and upwardly extended slot at 21 when in its position as shown in Figure 1.

On the under or inner surface there is a looking lug 23. This lug is so positioned that when 35 the wing is in its extended position, as shown in Figure 4, the lug will engage the wedge and locking ring and prevent collapsing movement of the wing.

The other pair of wings are each composed of a 40 wing body, indicated generally by the reference numeral 24, and of substantially circular outline and considerably wider transversely than are the wings l8. Otherwise they are substantially the same shape as the wings 18, except that on the inner or under surface of each of the wings 24 there are formed outwardly extended pockets, as clearly shown in Figure 2, where they are indicated by the numeral 25. These pockets are so shaped that when in the collapsed position shown in Figure 2, the adjacent edges of the wings 18 will be received into the pockets. This construction serves the dual function ofproviding. pockets for the reception of the wings l8 and also provides reinforcing ribs on the outer or I5 upper surface of the wings 24 to strengthen and reinforce them.

With this improved construction of the wings, it is obvious that when in their collapsed position, as shown in Figure 2, they will have a minimum total diameter to enter a hole in the earth of minimum diameter, and when in their working or extended position, the wings will have a maximum earth engaging area.

After the wings have been placed upon the pivot rods 16, an assembly plate 26 is placed on top of the head 15. This plate is provided with four downwardly extended lugs 27, so positioned that they will freely enter between the inner faces of the upper ends of the wings 20 in the center of the head 15, and when they have thus been placed in position, their lower ends are bent outwardly, as shown by dotted lines 28 in Figure 6, and as shown by solid lines in Figure 1, so that they will engage the rounded surfaces of the upper ends of the wings and prevent them from moving inwardly, or in such manner as to disengage the upper ends of the wings from the rods 16.

In this connection I have provided on each of the rounded ends 20 of the wings a transversely extended rib 29 to be engaged by the lower end of the lug 28, as clearly shown in Figure 1, to thereby yieldingly hold the wing in its collapsed position. This engagement, however, is such that when pressure is applied to the lower end of the wing to move it toward its open or working position, this frictional engagement is easily overcome.

For the purpose of holding the plate 26 firmly to the head 15, I have provided on the plate 26 a series of bendable lugs 30 normally extended straight downwardly but capable of being bent outwardly as shown by dotted lines at 31 in Figure 6 against the under surface of the head 15, and when these lugs are bent outwardly, the parts are all held in their assembled positions without bolts or nuts or the like.

One of the advantages of my improved anchor is that all of the parts may be made of malleable metal without machining or without theuse of bolts or nuts or like fastening devices. The plate 26 with its various lugs is capable of being cast in malleable metal and then when assembled the various lugs may be bent to their respective positions for holding the parts in assembled positions.

In practical use when the parts are properly assembled as described, the anchor may readily and easily be inserted in a'hole drilled in the earth, and an anchor of relatively large working area may be inserted in a hole of relatively small diameter. When the anchor has been inserted in the hole, then the operator hammers upon the plate 26 and thus causes the wedge and locking plate 12 to guide the wings to an outwardly extended position. This outward movement of the wings is limited by the collar 14, which engages the lugs 27 as shown in Figure 4, and the device is considered as fully extended when this position has been reached and the wings are inclined outwardly and slightly downwardly, as shown in Figure 4.

When this position has been reached, the lugs 23 will drop downwardly adjacent to the sides of the wedge and locking plate, thus preventing a collapsing movement of the wings.

When the wings have been thus extended and pressure in an upward direction is applied to the rod 10, and in the event one of the wings should engage a stone or other resistance, then the upwardly inclined position of the wings will prevent the anchor as a whole from tilting laterally, in which position its effectiveness as an anchor would be decreased, but the only eflect of such resistant object in engagement with one of the wings would be to move the entire anchor bodily in a lateral direction when suflicient pressure was applied in an upward direction upon the rod 10.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an earth anchor, the combination of a head having four wing supporting rods, four wings each having a slot to receive one of said rods for pivoting the wing to the head, and means for holding the head and wings in assembled positions comprising a plate adjacent the head and four bendable lugs carried by the plate and projected to position to engage the upper inner ends of the wings on the side opposite the said slot therein.

2. In an earth anchor, the combination of a head having four wing supporting rods, four wings, each having a slot to receive one of said rods for pivoting the wing to the head, and means for holding the head and wings in assembled positions comprising a plate adjacent the head and four bendable lugs carried by the plate and projected to position to engage the upper inner ends of the wings on the side opposite the said slot therein, said plate also having bendable lugs projected below said head and then laterally to hold the plate and head in assembled positions.

3. An earth anchor comprising a head having four wing supporting bars at its sides, four anchor wings each having a slot at its upper inner end, said slot opening outwardly and designed to receive one of said rods, a plate mounted on top of the head and having four bendable lugs normally extended straight downwardly adjacent the inner surfaces of the upper inner ends of the wings, and each lug capable of being bent outwardly against the adjacent upper end of the wing to hold the wing in position on its rod.

4. An earth anchor comprising a head having four wing supporting bars at its sides, four anchor wings each having a slot at its upper inner end, said slot opening outwardly and designed to receive one of said rods, a plate mounted on top of the head and having four bendable lugs normally extended straight downwardly adjacent the inner surfaces of the upper inner ends of the wings, and each lug capable of being bent outwardly against the adjacent upper end of the wing to hold the wing in position on its rod, the upper inner end of each wing being formed with a rounded surface and a rib thereon, said rib and said lug co-acting to yieldingly hold the wing in its collapsed positions.

5. In an earth anchor, the combination of a head having a number of wing supporting rods, a number of wings each being formed with a slot to receive one of said rods, and means for holding the wings to the head, comprising a member detachably secured to the head and formed with lugs to engage the side of each wing opposite from the slot, said lugs being formed of bendable resilient material and being in frictional engagement with the wings to hold the wings in collapsed position for convenience in shipping and handling.

6. In an earth anchor, the combination of a head, a series of earth engaging wings pivotally connected to said head, one of said wings being formed with a combined pocket and reenforcing rib projected outwardly beyond the working face of the wing, the edge portion of the working face of an adjacent wing being shaped to project into said pocket when the wings are in folded position, to thereby occupy a minimum of space and at the same time have a maximum working area when extended.

7. In an earth anchor, the combination of a head adapted to be engaged by a tamping bar, with a plurality of expanding arms, each arm being pivotally secured to said head, and said expanding arms initially depending from said head, a base member located below said arms and adapted to be slidably engaged by said expanding arms to cause said arms to project outward from said base when said head is moved toward said base, said expanding arms being so arranged that predetermined parts of certain arms overlap adjacent edges of adjacent arms to effect a folding of the arms into a minimum space with expanding arms of maximum expanded area, one of said arms being formed with a pocket projecting outwardly beyond the working face of the arm and the edge portion of the adjacent arm being shaped to project into said pocket when the arms are folded, said expanding arms being outwardly curved at their lower ends and having on their inner sides'securing means to engage said base to hold said arms in expanded position, said head and base being provided with aligned apertures, and a guy rod for slidably supporting said head, and having means for engaging the side of said base opposite from said head.

ELMER K. COLE. 

